[access-uk] how do you do braille displays?
- From: "Damon" <damon.rose@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2005 10:36:24 +0100
Hi.
This is a quick digital lifestyle question for all you braile display users
out there.
How do you use your braille display? Where do you position it? Do you put
your keyboard on top of it or beside it or what?
For years I've positioned my keyboard on top of the braille display but
since yesterday I've been trying to change my habits. I now have a new desk
and a new chair. The desk, however, is perhaps an inch higher than the last
desk and I'm noticing definite shoulder strain issues trying to reach my
keyboard all the way up there atop of my display. I'd always noticed a
level of strain but it's a little more apparent now. The display makes the
keyboard an inch or two higher: I've got an old 40 cell PowerBraille here at
home.
The good people from Health&Safety at work tell me that your elbows and
wrists should be on a level horizontally in order to stop excess strain on
your arms, shoulders, back and neck. Leaving the keyboard on top of my
braille display means that there is a definite 15 or 20 degree upward slant
of my forearms and more pressure on my shoulders. In fact I've had to give
them the deep heat treatment aftrer a few hours at my desk.
Hence the desk alteration.
Am I kidding myself to think that I can use my braille display just as
effectively if the display is behind the keyboard? It puts me in mind of
the old Versabraille or the old BrailleLink that we used to have in the
computer room at Worcester.
Using the keyboard like this means I am relying more on speech as the
braille isn't quite so close at hand. This could result in more spelling
errors, I'm thinking. It does seem that bit more comfortable to write,
however.
Are there any RSI suffering folk out there who are torturing themselves
because they feel they have to keep their keyboard on top of their braille
display purely because of the design of the thing? Or perhaps I am the last
in a long chain of people to realise that there are better ways of holding
yourself?
Any thoughts on matters ergonomic or health&safety relating to Braille
displays and the unnaturalness much appreciated.
And wow wasn't Doctor Who fantastic?
...Damon
** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe]
** If this link doesn't work then send a message to:
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
** and in the Subject line type
** unsubscribe
** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the
** immediately-following link:-
** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq]
** or send a message, to
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq
Other related posts:
